The problem affecting Mitchell Robinson and the Knicks

The situation of Mitchell Robinson in the most tense minutes of NBA games is becoming a structural issue for New York Knicks. His poor performance in free throws, a problem that was already exposed in the last playoffs, continues to be an obstacle that limits his impact when precision and composure are required at the end of games.

Coach Mike Brown has not lost faith in the center. He believes that, with work, Robinson will eventually find a more reliable technique. But until that improvement comes, his role in the closing moments will be diminished. And the coach made it clear.

"Obviously, he needs to make the free throws," Brown said after the team's most recent game. "We have a defined rotation, and usually Josh Hart will be on the court as power forward in the final minutes. So [Robinson] won't be on the floor for long. But if we need a rebound, he will be."

Brown's position is not arbitrary: the statistics are alarming. Robinson has only scored 22.6% of his free throw attempts this season—just nine attempts, but enough to raise concerns. This poor start comes after a postseason in which opponents intentionally fouled him to exploit his major weakness.

His technique was already attempted to be improved

The center tried to correct his technique before the start of the season, reducing his pre-shot bounces from three to one. However, the change has not yielded results.

The most recent example occurred in the Knicks' tight victory against Dallas Mavericks. Brown inserted him with 22 seconds left for a crucial defensive possession. Robinson grabbed the rebound... and then promptly received a foul. He missed both subsequent free throws. Fortunately for New York, Dallas failed to capitalize on the opportunity, and the misses from other players like Landry Shamet and Jalen Brunson also did not end up costing the game.

"Before our last game, we were probably among the top five teams in free throw percentage," Brown justified. "It was just one of those things."

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